Drip Irrigation Dallas

BEAT THE WATER RESTRICTIONS AND SAVE WATER

Drip irrigation is exempt from the Dallas city water restrictions, because it is up to 97% efficient. In order to save the most important parts of your landscape such as bed areas, trees, and especially around your foundation we can add drip irrigation by adding drip lines or convert existing sprinkler zones to drip irrigation instead for these areas. This will allow you to water these areas as often as you like and protect these valuable investments.

Also if you plan on planting seasonal flowers the only way you will be able to water these new plantings often enough is either by hand or with drip irrigation. This addition to your sprinkler system is much less expensive and much less trouble than foundation repairs or replacing dead trees and shrubs. Drip or soaker lines will keep your property looking good. We use dependable, high-grade valves with a filter and a pressure regulator that maintains the outlet pressure, ideal for drip zones. Filtering out any impurities is very important with a drip system (to avoid the drip emitters getting clogged up), so a highly reliable solenoid with a stainless steel screen filter in either 100 or 150 mesh sizes and a pressure regulator deliver proven durability, performance, and reliability.

So please call to find out more about this valuable addition to your sprinkler system.

Drip Irrigation Advice from a Dallas County Extension Agent

Advantages
Drip irrigation in Dallas delivers water slowly immediately above, on or below the surface of the soil. This minimizes water loss due to runoff, wind and evaporation. Drip irrigation can be operated during the windy periods sometimes seen in Dallas.

The mold spots on house siding and the staining and deterioration of wood privacy fences experienced with overspray from sprinkler irrigation is eliminated with the use of drip. Because water doesn’t leave the landscape with drip irrigation, pavement deterioration associated with sprinkler irrigation runoff is eliminated.

Properties with old, galvanized steel water service lines where corrosion has resulted in a narrowed diameter may benefit from a retrofit to drip irrigation. The low volume requirements of drip irrigation are a good match with restricted supply lines.

Dallas drip systems can be managed with an AC or battery powered controller. Automated landscape irrigation is an advantage to many people with busy lifestyles.

Adaptable and changeable over time, drip systems can be easily expanded to irrigate additional plants if water is available. Emitters can be simply exchanged or removed and emitter lines eliminated or re-positioned. When plants are removed or die, drip lines should be plugged.

Source: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/04702.html

Disadvantages
If emitters are poorly placed, too far apart or too few in number, root development may be restricted by the limited soil area wetted. Water seeping at ground level is hard to see and makes it difficult to know if the system is working properly. An indicator device that raises and lowers a flag to show when water is flowing is available to overcome this issue.

Regular maintenance inspections are needed to maintain system effectiveness—the same as with high pressure sprinkler systems. Clogs are much less likely with filtered water and proper pressure regulation used in combination with self-cleaning emitters.

Drip Emitters Are Best For Windy Conditions
In an area which is open and often windy, the most efficient way of applying water to say a flower bed is to use a drip emitter. The wind then does not blow the water spray away, and the water stays exactly where you want it. Typically the system is based on a quarter inch tubing pipe, with a poly flex riser held to the ground by a riser stake. Usually these emitters are adjustable so that the amount of water distributed to each plant can be customized. Customization allows a small plant to receive less water, and as it matures, the flow of water can be increased.

Drip tubing can be a trip hazard especially for dogs and children but is less problematic if covered with mulch and fastened with wire anchor pins every 2 to 3 feet. Drip lines can also be easily cut while undertaking other Dallas landscape maintenance activities.

So please call (972) 590-8220 to find out more about this valuable addition to your Dallas drip irrigation system.